Arriving Early has its Perks

Life has a funny way of surprising you. Sometimes the surprises are frustrating. Like after boarding the E train you find out that the E train runs on the F line today, skipping your transfer stop. But other times life has a sneaky little way of giving you just what you need, just when you need it the most.

Training stated at 11am today. The trainer didn't show up until noon. Why? Lot's of confusion and miss-communication apparently. But that hour gave us trainees some time to talk. I was the first one to arrive, so naturally I started talking to the girl who arrived next. Both of us felt like we were walking blindly through a hallway of nail covered walls. We knew nothing about the restaurant, nothing about the menu, and the trainer was nowhere in sight. It was not the time for awkward silences. It was the time for insecure small talk.

This led us to reveal a brief history of ourselves. I mentioned that I used to live in Japan, and to my surprise, the 5'10, skinny Tyra Banks look alike said, "Oh me too!"

She called herself a military brat who used to live in Okinawa. Instantly another 10 minutes of conversation was born. I found out that she was born in Hawaii, moved to Okinawa for middle school, started her professional life in LA, and finally arrived in New York a few months ago. I asked her if she liked LA. She responded with, "absolutely...but I left."

Those words resonated on a strange chord with me. She liked it...but she left. Why would someone leave a place they like? Soon after, we started talking about Tokyo. She asked, "Did you like Tokyo?"

I responded, "I loved it...but I left..."

I realized then that leaving a place you feel comfortable isn't unusual. For some people venturing into the unknown is terrifying...but for others, it's exhilarating.

Finally, I had found someone on my wavelength.

Later in the conversation I asked her why she chose New York. Apparently there was no real reason...life just took her here. She ended with a comment like, "I guess I'll always be a military brat at heart. Traveling around, bound to no single location. I love it."

The comparisons between her and I are obvious...let's be honest. Even though I didn't know it at the time, meeting her was just what I needed. Living carefree without a plan is wonderful, but it's stressful beyond belief. It comes with loneliness, culture shock, a constant fear of failure, and so many other obstacles. On the bright side though it comes with incomparable experiences, meeting the most diverse and wonderful people in the world, seeing things none of us knew existed, and so so so much self discovery.

I have a world of respect for those content in one location. Staying put allows you to grow connections with your surroundings. It helps you maintain strong physical relationships, and gives you a comfort zone which offers safety and stability. All of those are good things, and all those things I may never have.

I guess there are two kinds of people out there. Those that like the stability, and those that crave the instability. Being a traveler isn't easy...sometimes you think you're crazy. Sometimes you think you're making all the wrong choices.

That is, until you meet that one person who reminds you that you're on the right track.